Health

Telehealth services help patients connect with their doctors and healthcare providers from home. Though the service has grown over the last few years, the global pandemic has accelerated adoption as people seek alternatives to in-person visits.

Our research finds that people who have tried telehealth before are more willing to use it again. However, providers will shape telehealth’s future by creating better digital experiences, offering more accessibility to critical information online and addressing privacy concerns that serve as a barrier to entry for many patients.

According to our research, patients began to view healthcare differently throughout the pandemic. As cases increased globally, patients delayed some medical procedures, like elective surgery, as hospitals shifted resources to fighting COVID-19. Other healthcare services, like mental-health consultations, primary-care visits and dentistry also became restricted, forcing patients to delay care or consider digital alternatives.

Patients who delayed care say risk of getting sick from other patients through in-person visits is their biggest concern – suggesting people may not be comfortable at physical locations until pandemic conditions improve. Cost also plays a role, with patients facing times of economic instability.

For those looking for alternatives, telehealth became a viable option – one that reduces risk, while providing convenience and reduced costs associated with traveling to a doctor’s office or hospital. Our research finds that of all of the people that use telehealth, 79 percent tried the service for the first time over the last six months. 

With increased accessibility, more patients are comfortable with integrating telehealth into their routines. Patients say they’re interested in services that let them ask questions related to follow-ups, pre-existing conditions, symptoms, prescriptions and to determine whether or not an in-person visit is needed -- all things that could prevent or delay an in-person interaction.

Patients ages 65+ were among the largest population to try the service for the first time amid the pandemic (84 percent). These patients opt for telehealth largely due to increased health risks associated with in-person visits (73 percent). Although older users are not digitally native, almost half (49 percent) say they find telehealth experiences easy to use. In this case, telehealth serves as a resource for patients looking to reduce risk, allowing them to get the answers they need in an environment that makes them feel safe.

For patients whose needs did not require an in-person visit, those who chose not to use telehealth services say they feel uncomfortable using video technology or discussing medical issues online. This is apparent when discussing intimate healthcare issues, like sexual or mental health, which ranked lowest among services patients sought via telehealth.

This discomfort could tie to feelings of privacy and trust, which continue to remain one of the biggest challenges for telehealth. On one hand, our research finds that 75 percent of patients feel it’s important or very important for healthcare providers to have access to their records digitally. Research also shows that people in the U.S. are also more willing to share health data related to heart rate, blood pressure and diet – metrics that tie to daily habits.

Though more people are using telehealth, patients are also running into issues using online services, revealing weaknesses in user experience – especially when it comes to providing personalized telehealth.

More experienced telehealth users are more likely to prefer doctors that offer telehealth. For those with less experience using digital services, online reviews play a more important role as patients evaluate new services.

Over the last several months, telehealth has provided patients with a safer and more convenient way to manage healthcare needs. As patients become more accustomed to telehealth, companies have the opportunity to improve digital experiences, optimize their own processes and reduce cost in the wake of heightened demand: